The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Impressed Livi boss tips Raith for the top flight
Livingston manager David Martindale believes Raith Rovers can be a “fantastic addition” to the Scottish Premiership after the Lions needed extra time to knock John McGlynn’s side out of the Scottish Cup.
Substitute Matej Poplatnik scored a 109thminute winner as Livingston came from behind to win 2-1.
Jack Fitzwater grabbed an equaliser 20 minutes from time after Raith striker Lewis Vaughan had fired his side ahead with a 13th-minute free kick.
Livingston looked rattled for long spells of the first half and Martindale insists Raith, who lie second in the Championship, are more than capable of earning promotion.
“I thought we were good value for it and deserved the win but I wouldn’t be surprised to see Raith Rovers in the Premiership next year,” said Martindale.
“I think they’d be a fantastic addition.
“They’ve got a right good young squad. It’s a testament to the job John and his staff have done.
“There was a wee 10 or 15-minute spell where we struggled to get to grips with them a little bit.
“It gave them a lift of confidence and they popped the ball about for fun.”
Raith dominated much of the first half and manager McGlynn admits his team were left to regret not being able to extend their lead before the break.
He said: “I thought we were excellent in the first half. Lewis Vaughan executed the goal very well and Jamie Gullan was causing them a lot of problems.
“There was space he was getting into and we probably didn’t take advantage of that like we should have done. We should have been getting more attempts at goal and probably rue that now. They were better than half chances and we could have been going in at half-time with a two-goal cushion.”
The top-flight outfit were first to threaten after seven minutes when Nicky Devlin had a header from Craig Sibbald’s corner headed off the line by Dylan Tait.
However, Rovers broke the deadlock with an exquisite free kick from Vaughan.
The striker curled an effort over the wall and past Robby McCrorie at the goalkeeper’s near post.
Raith kept coming as the hosts struggled to get a foothold in the game.
Reghan Tumilty had a near-post drive repelled by McCrorie from close range before Regan Hendry then shot straight at the on-loan Rangers keeper from 18 yards.
A quick free-kick then caught out Raith in the 21st minute when Sibbald fed
Jay Emmanuel-Thomas inside the area but Jamie MacDonald got down at his front post to make the save.
The last chance of the opening period fell to Raith when Tumilty had a halfvolley pushed behind by the outstretched McCrorie.
Livingston improved after the break and were denied by another goalline clearance from Tait after Jackson Longridge’s shot was deflected towards goal.
But the hosts levelled through Fitzwater, the defender turning Jon Guthrie’s knock-down into the net from close range from Josh Mullin’s corner.
Extra time was a tight affair, the first chance of note coming in the second period when Raith keeper MacDonald made a comfortable save from Devlin’s looping header.
But Devlin then turned provider in the 109th minute. The full-back raced into the box and his square ball was placed into the gaping net by sub Poplatnik at the back post.